Albertsons workers approve new contract

Denver Denver-area union workers for the Albertsons grocery chain have voted unanimously to ratify a new 52-month contract, according to the Denver Post on Friday.

Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 voted in meetings Thursday at the local's headquarters in Wheat Ridge, Col. There were no votes to reject the contract, the UFCW said late Thursday in a posting on its Web site.

The contract includes a signing bonus, wage increases, improved healthcare insurance, a guaranteed severance package and provisions to stabilize the pension plan, union officials said. The amounts of the wage hikes and bonuses were not released.

"The workers run this union, and the Denver Albertsons workers told us they wanted to take the deal," said new Local 7 President Kim Cordova, who took office Jan. 1.

Albertsons workers have been without a contract since May 2009.

Union Albertsons workers in the Colorado Springs area are voting on the contract Friday, and Grand Junction workers will vote Tuesday.

Albertsons stores in Colorado are operated by Albertson's LLC. A separate set of Albertsons stores in other states are operated by Supervalu.

Local 7 represents about 17,000 workers at the Albertsons, King Soopers and Safeway stores in Colorado.